Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Providence Smith of Wakefield High School is the winner of the annual contest for the photo that will represent Arlington County on their vehicle sticker. The image is that of a snowy day on the W&OD Trail. I am sure the record snow fall this winter helped influence the judges.

The W&OD Trail is a wonderful symbol for Arlington. Arlington County was one of the founding members of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority fifty years ago. The W&OD Trail which the Regional Park Authority created from the old Washington and Old Dominion rail line was developed in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Today this trail runs through the heart of Arlington County and far beyond. At 45 miles, the W&OD Trail is one of the longest parks. As a paved path for biking, walking, rollerblading and horseback riding, this trail through some of the densest areas of Northern Virginia offers one of the best options for non-motorized transportation.

Arlington County has long been a leader in environmentalism and a big part of the mix is to encourage people to make more trips without their cars. With the W&OD Trail these trips become more practical.

We congratulated Providence Smith on her wonderful photo, and we thank Arlington County for seeing the value of making the W&OD Trail a symbol of what is best about the County.

About Me

I am the Executive Director of NOVA Parks (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority). Prior to that, I was the President of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. NOVA Parks is a regional park system made up of three Counties and three Cities in Northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, and the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church). NVRPA operates 30+ park and owns over 11,000 acres.
My family moved to Fairfax County when I was 1, so I am close to a native. I have a bachlors degree from St. Andrews University in N.C. and a masters degree from George Mason University. I also have a Certificate of Professional Development from the Wharton School of Business at UPA. I served on the Board of Regents for the NRPA Revenue Development and Management School, and am on the Board of Directors for Visit Fairfax.I am an Executive in Residense at George Mason University for their Recreation Management Program.
I also published two books one on leadership and the Civil War called "Lead Like a General." The other book is "High Performance Agencies: The Entrepreneurial Model for Public Park, Recreation and Tourism Organizations."